1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device for collecting pet hair directly from the pet as the pet enters or leaves the device where the pet eats, thus preventing or greatly reducing the amount of hair that the pet sheds in the house.
2. Description of the Related Art
A large number of people keep a pet of some kind in their house. Most of these pets are either cats or dogs. One of the problems that most pet owners experience is the presence of pet hair in their house due to their pet or pets shedding hair. This loose hair accumulates on the floor and can become unsightly. If the house is not cleaned frequently, the accumulation of hair can clog the return air filters of HVAC systems and can accumulate on refrigerator coils and decrease the refrigerator's cooling efficiency. Also, the human occupants may be allergic to the accumulation of hair and dander, not to mention the problem of pet hair getting on the human's furniture, carpet and clothing. The pet may also carry allergens, such as pollen, on its coat which would also be removed or at least reduced by the present invention. This removal or reduction in allergens on the pet's coat can reduce allergic reactions for both the pet and the pet's owners, particularly if the pet sleeps in the same bed with the pet's owners. The device could also aid in removing other debris that may be entangled in the pet's coat, such as dried leaves, grass, etc. and thus aid in keeping this type of debris from being scattered by the pet in the pet owner's house.
Although there are certain breeds of dogs and cats that do not shed much hair, the majority of the common dog and cat breeds do shed at least some hair and many shed a great deal of hair.
There are a number of hand held devices available for addressing this problem, including brushes, combs, portable vacuums, etc. that are used to clean loose hair from animals. These devices and methods are manually operated, time consuming and generally messy.
It is clear that there is a need for an improved automatic apparatus to remove and contain loose animal hair from pets so that the hair can be disposed.
The present invention relates to a device for collecting pet hair directly from the pet as the pet enters or leaves the device where the pet eats, thus preventing or greatly reducing the amount of hair that the pet sheds in the house. The device is a container consisting of three compartments: a first compartment where loose hair is removed from the pet, a second compartment where the pet is fed, and a third compartment where the filter and fan are housed.
It is a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved device for automatically removing loose hair from pets and retaining that loose hair so that it can be properly disposed.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an automated device for removing loose hair and allergens from pets to produce a cleaner and healthier environment for both the pets and the pet owners.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device for cleaning loose pet hair from a pet that can be adjusted in size to fit a variety of sizes of the animals.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a device for cleaning the pet which is safe for the pet and which is inviting to the pet to induce the pet to enter the device frequently.
A further object of the present invention is to provide an automatic device for cleaning a pet that has a small number of readily accessible components so that the device is simple and inexpensive to make and maintain.